Destiny's Wrath (Destiny Series - Book 3) by Straight, Nancy (manga ereader txt) 📕

friend Jimmy. She finished her thought and told him, “Noah, you’re your own man. I’m proud of you. You are someone who will change the world one day. Keep making good decisions.”

As Noah looked at the pool of blood on the floor, he wished he could have saved her. He wished her final thoughts had not been filled with the terror he saw frozen in her eyes.

Chapter 4

Noah stood dumbstruck - he couldn’t find his voice; he was unable to shout, or to scream or even to talk. His feet stayed planted as if his brain refused to process the event. Abigail was less than twenty feet from him; he heard a final soft gurgle come from behind the sofa.

Jimmy walked to within a few feet of Noah and waved his hand in front of Noah’s face several times. He asked his question again, “So, can you look at my numbers?” There wasn’t a hint of remorse in his voice; he gave his action no more thought than he would have stepping on a spider. With no response from his friend, he raised his voice, “Noah! You hear me?”

The sound of his name brought Jimmy’s features into focus. Noah nodded slowly. He wanted to run to Abigail and cradle her the way she had comforted him as a child. He wanted to call 911. He wanted to slit Jimmy’s throat wide open.

Noah was unable to do any of these things. His mind wouldn’t control his body; it was trying to process what had just happened. Why did Jimmy just stab Abigail? What was he going to do to me? Where’s Jessie? Why did I ever tell him I’d help him? No good answers arrived, and he felt a sharp pain to the back of his head. It didn’t register at first: had he just been stabbed, too? Noah put his hand to the back of his head - no large gash as he had expected.

Jimmy had put his knife away; the sharp pain was from a playful slap to the back of his head. Noah finally found his voice to whisper, “You just killed Granny.”

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. She was goin’ to tell the sheriff. Don’t worry, I can make it look like an accident, so you won’t get in no trouble. I really need you to look at my numbers.” Although he said he was sorry, Jimmy didn’t sound the least bit remorseful.

Noah heard his own voice methodically answering Jimmy with, “Let me…Let me get my calculator.” Noah realized that Jimmy was seriously going to build a bomb. This wasn’t some stunt or high school prank - he really wanted to kill hundreds of people.

Noah told himself he would help him with his calculation, then, as soon as Jimmy was gone, he’d call the police. He would tell them everything he knew. Noah walked down the hallway toward his bedroom, Jimmy in lock-step with him. Noah found his calculator on the desk in his room as the front door chimed. The security system on the house, even when unarmed, made a chime sound whenever an external door opened. Someone had just walked through the front door.

Jimmy looked out into the hallway and saw no one. “What was that?”

Noah shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t have a clue. “My sister probably just came home.”

Jimmy smiled, “Jessie is hot. Does she have a boyfriend?” Noah cringed. The thought of Jimmy being interested in Jessie turned his stomach. He wanted to call out to her, but what could he say? “Call the police.” “Run to the neighbors.” “Get in Granny’s car and get out of here.” Any of these messages would save her life and likely be certain death for Noah. Noah didn’t care; Jessie had to be okay. Just as he was ready to shout his warning down the hall, Jimmy called, “Hey, Jessie, we’re back here in Noah’s room. You wanna’ see something cool?”

Noah’s eyes got wide. He started to shout a warning but saw Jimmy’s hand in his pocket holding the knife. Seconds passed before Jessie came through the hallway to Noah’s room. Jimmy placed his hand on Jessie’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze with a bright smile. Noah saw the exchange and felt like someone had kicked him in the stomach. He looked at Jessie and said, “Mom called me today. She wanted to meet you at the Waffle House,” he looked at the watch on his wrist, “about ten minutes ago.”

Noah knew this was the most absurd thing he could have said. The two siblings had decided long ago that if their mother ever did get out of prison, neither would talk to her on the phone, by letter, or in person.

Jessie looked bewildered at her brother as if he had just lost his mind. His comment had taken her so far off guard she barely even noticed Jimmy’s hand on her shoulder. She said, “What?! Why on earth would you tell her I’d meet her at the Waffle House? I hate that bitch!” Jimmy looked cautiously at Noah as if for the first time he was feeling the tension between them.

“I don’t know, something about an inheritance from Uncle Dan. She wanted to see you. You should go over and see what it was all about.” Jessie was a smart girl; she would know instantly that Noah and she were in trouble. They didn’t have an Uncle Dan. When they were younger “Uncle Dan” was a code between them, for covering for their mom when an adult inquired about their mother’s whereabouts. She was always with Uncle Dan getting groceries, or Uncle Dan was sick, so she was at his house checking on him. Telling an adult that their mother was at the bar getting blitzed was never an option.

Jimmy slid his hand from her shoulder to the back of her neck, holding her firmly in place. His gaze never left Noah when he